The incense dish, the four victims, and the heifers as ourselves

Cyril: …of gladness beyond your companions’ (Psalm 45:7). The incense dish, again, has the shape and form of a censer, being made like a small bowl, and it too is filled with incense. For Christ is both fragrance and censer. He does not have his fragrance from outside, as we ourselves do, who come to have it by sharing in virtue and in the holiness that belongs to godliness. He has it from within, as God, and is rich in his own nature in all for which he is wondered at, and he fills the whole world with a fragrance that is above the world and above creation. For since he is God by nature and in truth, and has in his own nature the fragrance of the knowledge of the Father (2 Corinthians 2:14), he is very clearly recognized for what he is. The incense dish, then, is full of incense. Accordingly there are brought a calf and a ram, and a lamb as well, and a male goat, the offerings brought in addition to these; and through them all he himself is portrayed. In the calf, because of its great strength, and because among the tame and clean animals the calf is foremost, and greatest in size of body; and all that is Christ’s stands in a spiritual pre-eminence, and he himself is the One who excels and stands above, by a difference beyond comparison in every respect whatever. In the ram, because of its full maturity; and in the lamb, because of its innocence: ‘For I,’ he says, ‘like an innocent lamb led to be sacrificed, did not know’ (Jeremiah 11:19). In the male goat, because of the slaughter on behalf of those who had sinned. For under the law the male goat is the sacrifice for sin; and Emmanuel went down into death for our sake, and we have been redeemed from our ancient offences through the slaughter he endured for us. Or do you say that this too is not true?

Palladius: How could it not be?

Cyril: Notice, too, that the calves were brought, but were given for the work of the tent, so that when the camp moved they might carry the loads on wagons and spare those who performed the sacred service toil and distress (Numbers 7:3–8). For the Church rests upon Christ, and he carries us. He does not let the holy and precious race, the people skilled in holy works, fall into labours beyond their strength. In this way, then, the things named must be referred to Christ. As for the animals for the sacrifice of salvation, the leaders brought them, as it were, in place of themselves, consecrating them in some way to the holy tent and offering them up to God as a fragrant aroma. There were two heifers, five rams, five he-goats and five ewe lambs. Now the calf is Christ, and the heifers are we ourselves, and the reasoning about the two is not out of keeping, but rather true and plain. For the male is always, in a way, the one most fitted to lead, and held in the highest honour and glory with God; and nature is witness to it, admitting the fact. The female is lesser and placed beneath, coming as it were behind the strength and glory of the male. So in the male calf Christ is our leader, while we, as it were, are yoked beneath him and far less than he in strength and glory, and the distance between is beyond comparison. For even if he became like us…